By Moses Leos III

Business owner James Rios is banking on the people of Kyle wanting a new option for coffee and cocktails.

When he bought the old Kyle bank building, he wasn’t just thinking of adding another bar along Center Street; he aleady owns Centerfield sports bar and Desperados night club.

Instead, Rios focused his effort on a different experience that could draw new crowds to downtown.

With a soft opening scheduled for May 2, Rios hopes Grindhouse Coffee & Cocktails will provide a coffee house and lounge experience. 

“I want people to come in, feel warm and enjoy themselves,” Rios said. “Whether it’s sitting here with a cocktail in the evening with their friends, or coming in here before work and grabbing a donut and coffee.” 

Why a coffee house? The idea for Grindhouse took seed when Rios noticed the lack of coffee shops in town. 

He and his wife, Lilia, said the community is asking for just such a place. 

“There’s a lot of residents in the area that will enjoy a cup of coffee with their friends,” Rios said. “And you’ll have students that want to study but they don’t’ want to sit at campus, so they can come in and use our free Wifi and study or get some work done.” 

Grindhouse, which will have a full-service coffee bar, will bring in fair trade and organic coffees, which Rios said was a “big deal for us.” The business will also grind its own special blend of coffee on site. 

In addition, Rios partnered with Round Rock Donuts as a key distributor for his business. He is currently “working out the details” with another company to sell its pastries. 

While he wouldn’t say which company he is working with, Rios said “they’re in West.” He will also focus on selling sandwiches and salads once the business is open. Ultimately, he plans to bring food that will be “unique and specific to Grindhouse” and wouldn’t compete with other businesses — in particular his own. 

Rios said the research that went into bringing a coffee bar to Kyle was more effort than he’s ever done. 

Understanding the differences between certain coffee types was a “new world” to him. 

“For me, I go to Starbucks and I order a coffee, I didn’t ask them for a dark roast or a house blend,” Rios said. 

Plans are to keep the coffee shop open from 6 a.m. to midnight. A cocktail lounge will cater to the happy hour crowd. 

Bringing in acoustic music during the weekends is one idea for the new business. Rios wants to avoid a “rambunctious and loud” atmosphere “where you can’t have a conversation with your friends.” 

The cocktail lounge portion, however, wouldn’t be available until the permitting process from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is complete. Rios estimates serving alcohol by this coming Fourth of July. 

Currently, Rios is renovating the building at 109 Center Streeet, which he said is “one of the easiest build outs we’ve had to do.” 

While he estimates spending $75,000 in renovations, Rios said additions in plumbing, counter space and coffee machines were some of the major upgrades, along with costs to maintain the building’s rustic look. 

“Really, we are going to keep it classic and integrate a little bit of modern day looks,” Rios said. 

Rios aims to make downtown Kyle relevant, not just a part of town people drive through. Keeping business local is also his goal. 

“When I said two and a half years ago that I was investing in Kyle, I meant it,” Rios said. “I want to grow with Kyle, but I also want to keep the image of supporting local business.”